Pipe hanger



M. T. WORKS Feb. 4, 1941.

PIPE HANGER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1938 mil MADDEN avg/9% BY 5 32011 4 6 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PIPE HANGER Madden '1'. Works,Houston,

Tex, assignor to Cameron Iron Works, Houston, Tex. Application June I,1938, Serial No. 212,240

3Clalms.

The invention relates to a pipe hanger and particularly a hanger of atype which may be lowered through some of the well head fittings andsupported in position where it may be sealed and retained againstdisplacement.

In completing a well, particularly where higher pressures are present atthe well head, it is desirable to support and seal the tubing string inthe well and to remove some of the larger fittings which are thereafterunnecessary and the present pipe hanger has been devised with the viewof supporting the tubing and anchoring the tubing in positionirrespective of its exact location relative to the supporting structure.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a pair of sealrings, one on the supporting structure and one on a tubing hanger, whichrings may be engaged either independently or simultaneously by ahold-down member which is anchored to the support and by which pressureis applied to the hanger to anchor it in position and form a sealthereabout. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a tubing hanger which maybe lowered into position through the well head fittings and anchored insealing position after the fittings have been removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing assembly forwell heads, wherein a seal is formed by a hold-down member with a pipehanger in such a manner that additional pressure applied to the hangerwill permit the hold-down member to also seal with the supportingstructure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of independent sealrings, one on the well head and one on the pipe hanger, both of whichwill be engaged by a hold-down head.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sealing assemblyfor well heads wherein a seal may be formed with either the tubinghanger or the well head as desired.

Still another object of the invention is to resiliently support a pipehanger in position so that additional pressure applied thereto will tendto form a seal to confine the pressure within the pipe supported by thehanger and to also form a seal about the hanger to prevent the escape ofpressure around the hanger.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a well head to which the invention isbeing applied.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the hanger with the hold-down capbeing moved to clamp the hanger in position.

In Fig. 1 the well casing is indicated generally at 2 and is surmountedby a casing head 3 which is here illustrated as having a flange 4thereon. With equipment of this sort it is usual to provide varioustypes of closure devices upon the well head during the drillingoperation and in some instances these remain on the well after produc- 0tion is had, while in other instances these closure devices are removedand the Christmas tree fittings applied directly to the well head.

In Fig. 1 a blowout'prevenrteri has been shown as disposed upon the wellhead 3 and is of the type having movable ram members 6 which will closearound the string of pipe I disposed in the passage 8 of the well bore.

The upper end of this blowout preventer 5 is provided with a, seat l0which is disposed inside of the flange i I and is arranged to receive asupport ring l2. Disposed onv the ring I2 is a body of packing ii of anydesired type, which is in turn arranged to be confined by a pipe hangerIT. This hanger is formed with an outwardly extending flange l8 and adownwardly projecting skirt IS. The skirt may be threaded as desired at20 in order to receive the pipe I and support it in position. The upperend of the hanger may be threaded at 22 to receive a continuation 23 ofthe pipe I or this pipe 23 may in some instances be a setting nipple orpipe by which the pipe hanger is set or located-upon the seat In. A snapring 24 on the skirt l9 holds the support ring I2 thereon until thehanger is positioned on the seat I 0.

Disposed on the flange H is a drilling or gate valve 30 having a flange3| which is clamped to the flange II by a series of bolts 32. A sealring 33 is clamped between the flanges II and 3| by the bolts 32 and isarranged to project into the groove 84 in the flange I land the groove35 in the flange 3 I. In this manner a seal is formed about the wellbore 8 so that there may be no leakage between the flanges.

It will be understood that the blowout preventer 5 may be closed aboutthe pipe 1 to cut off the flow ofpressure while this hanger is beinglocated.

It will also be understood that the blowout pre-' venter 5 hadpreviously been used to close the well bore 8 when the drill stem orother string of pipe was disposed therein, and that during this previousperiod if there was no pipe in the well and it was desired to close thepassage, then of course the gate valve 30 would be closed to cut oil theflow of fluid through the well bore.

There are many different conditions and sets of circumstances incompleting a well bore which determine whether or not some of theequipment may be removed or whether it must remain on the well but it isof course desirable to remove as much of this equipment as possiblebecause of the cost thereof.

With the hook-up shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus has been arranged so thatthe drilling valve may be removed while the blowout preventer 5 willremain on the well. In other circumstances both the valve and thepreventer may be removed and the pipe hanger positioned within the wellhead 3 and inside of the flange 4,

' it being the object of the present invention to provide a set ofequipment wherein the hanger may be located at the desired elevation andcertain portions of the equipment removed.

In Fig. 1 if the pipe 23 is a setting nipple, it will be unscrewed andthe valve 30 removed. Before the well is completed however it isdesirable to anchor the pipe hanger l'l firmly in position to preventits displacement. Fig. 2 shows the structure for anchoring and clampingthis pipe hanger. In connection with Fig. 2 the construction will be thesame regardless of whether the valve 30 is removed or both the valve andthe blowout preventer are removed and this Fig. 2 illustrates broadlythe idea of a hold-down member 40 which may be applied to any one of theflanges 4, II or 3|, as the circumstances may require. For purposes ofillustration it will be considered that the supporting flange in Fig. 2is the flange ll of the blowout preventer 5. The detailed parts thereofhave been previously pointed out except for the provision of a groove 42in the top face of the hanger II. This groove 42 is arranged to receivea hanger seal ring 43 which projects into a groove 44 in the hold-downmember or cap 40. A groove 45 is also disposed in the lower face 46 ofthe hold-down member 40 in such a position that it will engage the sealring 33 which is disposed in the groove 34.

As seen in Fig. 2 the bolts 32 have not been drawn down as tightly aspossible but have been drawn down sufliciently to bring the cap memberadvantage where the hanger does not move down into its seat a suflicientamount so that it is level with the top of the flange I i as isillustrated in Fig. 2. On the other hand, it the weight of the tubing orpipe I is such that the packing l5 would be compressed a greater amount,then of course a seal could still be maintained satisfactorily bydrawing up on the bolts 32. On the other hand, in event the pipe hangershould be carried by the weight of the pipe to a position below the topof the flange ll, then of course when the cap member 40 were positioned,the bolts 32 woud draw the cap downwardly so that the ring 33 would moveinto the groove 45 and a seal would be provided. In other words, the capmember may flt with either of the rings 33 or 43 or with both of them ifcircumstances so require.

Broadly the invention contemplates an ar- I rangement of a hold-down capwhich can be used to seal with either the hanger or the well head orwith both of them simultaneously so that a seal may be provided ,boththrough and around the tubing hanger.

What is claimed is:

1. In a well head, a support on the well, a support ring seated therein,a resilient packing thereon, a pipe hanger disposed on said packing andwithin said support but normally projecting above such support, anannular groove in the top of said hanger, a metal seal ring therein, anda holddown member movable to apply pressure through said ring tomaintain a sealing pressure in said packing.

2. In a well head, a support on the well, a support ring seated therein,a resilient packing thereon, a pipe hanger disposed on said packing andwithin said support but normally projecting above such support, anannular groove in the top of said hanger, a metal seal ring therein, aholddown member movable to apply pressure through said ring to maintaina sealing pressure in said packing, and an additional seal ring on saidsupport to be engaged by said holddown member when said hanger movesdownwardly into said support or when there is no hanger in the support.

3. A well head assembly including a head. a blowout preventer thereon, aseat in said preventer, a pipe hanger packing and a pipe hanger on saidseat, a seal ring on top of said preventer, a drilling valve on saidring, means on said hanger to receive a seal ring so that a seal may bemaintained with either or both said preventer and said hanger when saidvalve is replaced by a holddown cap.

MADDEN T. WORKS.

